The Beatles Anthology

Like the 1995 TV documentary to which it is a belated companion, the in-their-own-words coffee-table tome The Beatles Anthology is an only intermittently magical history tour. Structured chronologically, it takes us from birth to breakup, touching on key topics but in generally unenlightening ways: Ringo calls Sgt. Pepper ”our grandest endeavour” (wow!); Paul admits he’s proud of ”Yesterday” (stop the presses!). John, via old interviews, offers snatches of the acerbic wit that is still missed. And any doubts that George was the Grumpy Beatle are laid to rest with his entries: He complains about the tedium of the Pepper sessions, admits he was ”definitely uncomfortable” having Yoko around, calls the original ”butcher” cover of Yesterday and Today ”gross,” and dubs Apple Records ”John and Paul’s madness.” You almost want to kiss his sour puss. The band’s vacation photos, documents, and memorabilia are nice eye candy, and Anthology‘s lads-to-rads tale — the template for every Behind the Music — is as timeless as Rubber Soul, but only collectors will want to pay this much to hear it again. It’s all too much, and too little. C+